Sensing device for record material



y 1955 F. R. WERNER 2,708,498

SENSING DEVICE FOR RECORD MATERIAL Filed Nov. 3, 1948 2 Shee'ts-Sheet 1 FIG.I

11 2A-00479 147518MQY39 INVE NTOR FRANK R. WERNER BY aw M X M 1 ATTORNEYS y 17, 1955 F. R. WERNER 2,708,498

SENSING DEVICE FOR RECORD MATERIAL Filed Nov. 3, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Z'mventor FRANK R. WERNER By Z His Gttorneg United States Patent SENSING DEVICE FOR RECORD MATERIAL Frank R. Werner, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to The National Cash Register Company, Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Maryland Application November 3, 1948, Serial No. 58,114

2 Claims. (Cl. 192125) The invention relates to improvements in printing mechanisms for cash registers, calculating machines, and the like.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an improved printing mechanism for cash registers and calculating machines.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved sensing mechanism to sense for the presence or absence of record material on the support therefor.

With these and incidental objects in view, the invention includes certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts, a preferred form or embodiment of which is hereinafter described with reference to the drawings which accompany and form a part of this specification.

Of said drawings:

Fig. 1 is a facsimile of an insertable sales slip upon which printed records are made by the machine.

Fig. 2 is a detail side elevation of the slip printing hammer mechanism.

Fig. 3 is a detail side elevation of the sensing device for the slip printing and feeding mechanism.

Fig. 4 is a detail view of the clutch mechanism shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a detail side elevation of an amount setting lever, showing the type of machine toyvhichthe present invention is shown applied, and includes a connection for setting the type carriers.

Fig. 6 is a detail side elevation of the operating mechanism for the machine.

Fig. 7 is a detail front elevation of the driving connections for operating the slip feeding and printing means.

General description The machine to which the present invention is shown applied is illustrated in connection with the machine shown and described in United States Patent No. 2,209,- 763, issued to Ernst Breitling on July 30, 1940.

The invention embodies a novel slip-printing mechanism in which impressions are made on an insertable slip, which is supported in a suitable supporting means in the machine. The printer is arranged to print in duplicate on the insertable slip, and a feeding mechanism is provided to space the insertable slip after the first impression has been made. In order to prevent unnecessary operation and smudging of the printing hammer, a sensing means is provided for sensing for the presence or absence of a slip on the slip support. The novelty in the sensing mechanism lies in the fact that, after the machine begins to operate, a clutching mechanism may be disabled by the sensing means itself for disabling the operating means for the printing mechanism.

Detailed description The machine to which the present invention is shown applied is provided with a series of setting levers 30 (Fig. 5) pivotally mounted on a cam shaft 31. Each lever 30 is provided with a series of teeth 32, meshing with 2,708,498 Patented May 17, 1955 a pinion 33, secured to a shaft 34, which shaft extends into the printer section of the machine and by means of which type carriers are positioned commensurate with the setting of the lever 30.

The lever shown in Fig. 5 is shown for adjusting the type carriers through the shaft ,34. Other levers similar to'the lever 30 are provided, each of which is provided with teeth 32 meshing with pinions 33, which pinions are connected to nested sleeves for setting up type carriers in the printer.

The lever 30 is provided with alining notches 35, engageable by a stud 36 on a lever 39,, pivoted on a shaft 37 and held in the position shown by a spring 38. As the lever 30 is adjusted for se ing up an amount, the stud 36 ratchets in and out of the notches 35. As fully described in the above-mentioned Breitling patent, means are also provided for locking the stud 36 in a notch during the machine operation to prevent manipulation of the lever 30 during a machine operation.

Connected to the lever 30 by a link 41 is an indicator setting segment 40, whereby an indicator is set commensurate with the position of the lever 30, as fully described in the above-mentioned patent. The upper end of the lever 30 projects through a slot in the cabinet 42, which cabinet encloses the entire machine.

Operating mechanism The machine may be operated by means of an electric motor, as shown and described in the above-mentioned Breitling patent, or by means of an operating handle 44 (Fig. 6). In addition to the cam shaft 31, mentioned above, a second cam shaft 43 (Fig. 6) is provided," and both of the cam shafts may be operated by the operating handle 44. The operating handle 44 is clutched to a pinion 45 in the usual manner. The pinion 45 meshes with an intermediate gear46, rotatably'rnounted on a stud 47 on the right side frame 48. The intermediate gear 46 meshes with a gear 49, secured to the camshaft 31. The intermediate gear 46 also meshes with a pinion 50, rotatably mounted on a stud 51, carried by the right side frame 48. The pinion 50 meshes with a gear 52 secured to the before-mentioned cam shaft 43. v

Clockwise rotation of the operating handle 44 rotates the intermediate gear 46 counter-clockwise (Fig. 6) to rotate the gear 49, together with the shaft 31, clockwise as viewed in Fig. 6 and counter-clockwise as viewed in Fig. 2. Also, counter-clockwise rotation of the intermediate gear 46 (Fig. 6) through the intermediate pinion 50 rotates the cam shaft 43 counter-clockwise as viewed in Fig. 6. A

Type setting mechanism Secured to the shaft 34, and to each one of the nested sleeves, is a type setting gear (not shown). Meshing with the teeth of the said gear is a type wheel 56 (Fig. 2) for setting up data to be printed on an insertable slip. There are a type-setth g gear and a type wheel 56 provided for each lever 30 of the machine, the number of type carriers depending upon the item entry capacity of the machine, as is fully illustrated in said Breitling patent.

Slip-printing mechanism The machine is provided with mechanism to print on an insertable slip, illustrated in Fig. 1. To provide a support for the slip in the machine, a supporting table 92 (Figs. 2 and'3) is provided, which vprojects through a slot in the cabinet of the machine. The table 9 2 -is suitably mounted on brackets in the machine to guide and support the insertable slip in proper alinement with the type wheels and the printing hammer.

Slip-printing hammer mechanism The sliptprinting hammer mechanism is illustrated in 3 Fig. 2. The slip-printing hammer 93 (Fig. 2) is pivotally mounted on a stud 94, carried by the left side frame 58 of the machine and by an auxiliary frame (not shown). The hammer 93 is provided with a platen 96, carried by a channel bar 97 supported on the hammer 93. The hammer 93 comprises two arms and a connecting bar.

Carried between the two arms of the hammer 93 is a shaft 98, supporting a roller 101.

Mounted on a shaft 108 is a cam 109, having two nodes for cooperation with the roller 101. The shaft 108 and the cam 109 are rotated counter-clockwise by a gear train, hereinafter described, connecting the shaft 108 to the cam shaft 31. Counter-clockwise rotation of'the shaft 108 (Fig. 2) causes the cam 109 to engage the roller 101 and thereby rock the printing hammer 93 to impinge the record material and the ribbon, hereinafter described, against the type carriers to take an impression on the insertable slip. After the first impression has been made, a feeding mechanism line-spaces the insertable slip, whereupon the second node of the cam 109 rocks the hammer to impinge the record material and the ribbon against the type carriers.

In order to hold the printing hammer 93 in its normal position when the machine is at rest, to prevent accidental or fraudulent operation of said printing hammer, a cam 113 is secured to the shaft 31. When the machine is at rest, the node of the cam 113 is engaged by a roller 114, mounted on an arm 115, secured to the hammer 93. When the machine is at rest, the hammer 93 is locked in its home position, since it is impinged between the roller 101 and the roller 114 and therefore cannot be moved either accidentally or fraudulently.

The printer-operating cam 109 is driven from the main shaft 31 by a train of gears and a clutch mechanism, by means of which the cam 109 can be disconnected from the main shaft 31 in a manner hereinafter described. The train of mechanism for driving the cam 109 includes a gear 116 (Figs. 2, 3 and 7), secured to the shaft 31. The gear 116 meshes with an intermediate gear 117, which is connected to a second intermediate gear 118 by a hub 119. The intermediate gears 117 and 118, together with the hub 119, are rotatably mounted on a stud 120, mounted-on the left side frame 58. The intermediate gear 118 meshes with a pinion 121, freely rotatable on the beforementioned shaft 108. Secured to the pinion 121 by means of a hub 122 is a clutch disk 123 (see also Fig. 4). Secured to the shaft 108 is an arm 124 (Figs. 3 and 7) provided with a stud 125, on which a clutch pawl 126 (see also Fig. 4) is pivotally mounted. A

spring 127 normally maintains the pawl in engagement with a notch 128, formed in the clutch disk 123. The spring 127 is stretched between a stud on the clutch pawl 126 and an ear formed on the arm 124.

When the shaft 31 and the gear 116 are rotated during the operation of the machine, the gear 116 rotates the intermediate gears 117 and 118 and the pinion 121 to rotate the clutch disk 123 counter-clockwise (Fig. 4). Counter-clockwise rotation of the clutch disk 123 carries the clutch pawl 126 therewith, which, through the stud 125, carries the arm 124 also counter-clockwise. The arm 124, being pinned to the shaft 108, rotates said shaft and the hammer-operating cam 109 counter-clockwise (Fig. 2) to operate the printing hammer 93 in the manner hereinbefore described.

The object of providing the clutch 123126 in the train of mechanism for driving the operating cam 109 is to provide a means for disconnecting the cam 109 and thereby disabling the operation of the printer hammer 93 when no slip is on the slip table.

Slip feeler mechanism At the very beginning of the machine operation, a slip feeler 132 (Fig. 3), pivotally mounted on the beforementioned stud 94, is rocked clockwise to sense for the 4 presence or absence of a slip on the table 92. A spring 133 normally tends to rock the slip feeler in said clockwise direction but is restrained in the home position, shown in Fig. 3, by a roller 134 thereon being held in engagement with a cam 135 by the spring 133. The cam 135 is secured to the hub 122 (Fig. 7), on which the clutch disk 123 is also secured. Therefore, when the clutch disk 123 is rotated by the cam shaft 31, through the gear 116, the intermediate gears 117 and 118, and the pinion 121, the cam 135 rotates counterclockwise (Fig. 3). At the beginning of the counterclockwise rotation of the earn 135, its low part permits the spring 133 to rock the feeler 132 to sense for the presence or absence of a slip on the table 92. If no slip is present on the table, the slip feeler 132 receives its maximum movement, in which event a flange 136 (Fig. 4) on the slip feeler 132 moves into the dot-and-dash line position illustrated in Fig, 4, wherein the flange is in thev path of a-tail 137 on the clutch pawl 126. Upon continued counter-clockwise rotation of the clutch pawl 126, the tail 137, coming into contact with the flange 136, causes the clutch pawl 126 to rock clockwise, whereupon the clutch pawl 126 becomes disengaged from the notch 128 on the clutch disk 123, therefore arresting any further rotating movement of the printer cam 109. The arresting of the cam 109 takes place before the cam is effective to operate the printing hammer, and therefore, when no slip is present on the table 92, the printing hammer will not be operated.

If, when the slip feeler 132 is released to the action of the spring 133, the feeler engages a slip which is present on the table 92, the flange 136 is arrested in the dottedline position illustrated in Fig. 4, in which position .the flange 136 is arrested before coming intothe path'of the tail 137, and therefore the clutch pawl 126 is not disengaged from the notch 128 and the printing cam 109 is permitted to operate to .take thetwoimpressions on the inserted slip in the manner described above.

While the form of mechanism .shown and. described herein is admirably adapted to fulfill the objects primarily stated, it is to be understood that it is not intended to confine the invention to the one form or embodiment disclosed herein, for it is susceptible of embodiment in various other forms.

What is claimed is:

1. In a machine of the class described having a driving shaft, a driven shaft, a' notched member on one shaft, and a pivoted pawl on the other shaft engaging the notched member to couple the two shafts together; in combination with a support for record material, a feeler to sense the presence or absence of record material on the support, a flange formed directly on the feeler, said flangemovableinto the path of movement of the pawl, when the. feeler senses the absenceof record material, to withdraw thepawl from engagement with the notched member to thereby uncouple the driven shaft from the driving shaft, a cam to normally maintain the feeler out of the path of movement of the record material, and means operableunder control of the cam to actuate the feeler.

2. In a machine of the class described having a driving shaft, a driven shaft, a notched disk on the driving shaft, 2. pivoted pawl on the driven shaft normally held in engagement with a notch in the notched disk to couple the driven shaft to the driving shaft, and a support for record material, in combinationwith a pivoted i feeler, the free end thereof being movable to sense for the presence or absence of record material on the sup" port, a flange formed on the pivoted feeler movable into the path of movement of said pawl to \vitlidraw the pawl from engagement with said notch to" thereby un couple the driven shaft from the driving shaft, a cam to normally maintain the feeler out of the path of movement of the record material, andaspring to actuate. the

pivoted feeler under control of the cam.

(References on following page) i 6 References Cited in the file of this patent 2,210,021 Breitling Aug. 6, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,224,714 Walker Dec. 10, 1940 2,235,844 Nelson Mar. 25, 1941 1,529,903 MOJOHmeI 1925 2 275 53 Rest Mar. 1 1942 1,555,596 Miller SePt- 29, 1925 5 2,335,949 Lewis Dec. 7, 1943 1,795,509 Robertson 10, 1931 2 349 0 Hughes May 23 1944 1,906,304 Barrett y 2, 1933 2 350,703 Ryan J 6, 1944 2,021,327 Phinney NOV. 19, 1935 I 2,042,719 Lindgren June 2, 1936 FOREIGN PATENTS 2,044,754 Lawrence June 16, 1936 10 408,907 Great Britain Apr. 19, 1934 2,208,050 Posenski July 16, 1940 430,371 Great Britain June 18, 1935 

